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Carl Bernstein praises Snowden

Speaking to reporters on an island in the Gulf of Finland about the conditions for Russian asylum, Putin said he thinks the former National Security Agency contractor is “shifting” his position on political activity.

“The conditions for granting political asylum are known to him. And judging by his latest actions, he is shifting his position. But the situation has not been clarified yet,” Putin continued.

Putin said Russia never wanted Snowden to come to the country and that he was passing through Russia when the United States “blocked his further flight.”

“He came to our territory without invitation, we did not invite him. And we weren’t his final destination,” Putin said. “He was flying in transit to other states. But the moment he was in the air … our American partners, in fact, blocked his further flight.”

Snowden has been holed up in Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow since fleeing Hong Kong in late June. He announced at a meeting with human rights organizations last Friday that he has accepted all asylum requests from Latin American countries offered to him, but would be seeking asylum in Russia because travel to Latin America would be “impossible” due to the U.S. government.

Russian immigration officials said on Saturday they have yet to receive an asylum application from Snowden.